Adjustable book holder



Dec. 20, 1938. MARSEGUA 2,140,805

ADJUSTABLE BOOK HOLDER Filed Oct. 1'7, 1936 17b1, 1*.4. /f 2/ 4 M Wk;

Z7 /7 z z [7 EFF 20" 5 INV ENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improved book holders-more particularly it relates to an adjustable book holder for retaining a book in a horizontal or vertical open position and which may be readily collapsed or knocked down to form a compact unit.

The object of this invention is to provide a simply constructed, book holder which can be easily collapsed or knocked down to form a compact unit.

One other object of this invention is to provide an adjustable bookholder suitable for use with a book which may be held in any desired inclined position for reading without impairing or tiring the vision of the reader.

Another object of the invention is to obtain an eificient book holder provided with a plurality of extensible arms for holding the pages of a book in stationary position when the holder is on 20 the lap of a seated person.

Still another object is to provide a book holder which is adjustable to any desired angle to hold a book, at any suitable inclined position, either on its vertical or horizontal axis.

In the accompanying drawing which is a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a vertical rear plan view of the holder in knocked down or collapsed position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View of the front 30 face of the holder shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of a book on the holder.

Fig. 8 is an end diagrammatic view showing the adjustability of the holder.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the holder with a book in horizontal open position, showing its use for a reader lying in prone or reclining position.

Fig. 10 is a perspective View showing a newspaper in position on the rear frame work of the holder; and

Figs. 11 and 12 are modifications of parts of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawing, similar character references designate like parts throughout.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 10, a plate i5 is provided, on which may be printed or painted any ornamental design to make the holder attractive in appearance when not in use. Said plate is preferably stamped from sheet'metal and has at each upper corner a sleeve l6, which is integral with the plate and is curled from over the top toward the back of the plate. A bar I1 is .provided, having a right angle bend' l8 which fits into each sleeve 16 and forms a tight fit therewith. The other end of each bar I1 is retained by cylindrical member or tube [9 which is slidable with respect to'the bar. The tube l9 is'also adapted to'accomm'odate bars 20 of a yoke 2|. Said latter bars p erferably exceed the length of the tubes l9 to permit adjustment of the yoke'to any desired height above the top of plate l5.

Each bar 20 has a bend 22, and is preferably cylindrical in section to fit in a sheath 23 of the yoke 2i and act as an axis about which the sheath may be rotated. Said sheath has an extending portion 24 which is bent over to form an elongated rectangular section'for accommodating the square shaped arm 25 of bars 26.

The ends of arms25 are set in from the ends of the extending portion 24 and are each connected to one end of each spring 21. Each of the springs isin turn connected at their other end to the extending portion 2 3 of the sheath.

From the drawing and the description above, it will be noted that the sheath can be easily rotated around bends 22 of bar 20, raising the same above the top of the plate I5 and also to permit lateral extension of the arms 26 from the rectangular section of the sheath. It will be further noted that said arms 25 when extended will normally be drawn in toward the rectangular section by means of springs 27 whichare under tension.

Tubes l9 are of sufficient over all diameter to accommodate both the bars ll and 30. Another bar or thigh rest 28 of circular or curved outline has loops 29 and upwardly extending-terminal portions 3E3 which fit into tubes 2ll'and are in alignment with bars IT. The thigh rest or circular bar 23 by means of its terminal portion 30 may be slid toward or away from the collars l9 and has its terminal portions in frictional engagement with the collars. The thigh rest may be partly spread at its looped portion to'rest'on the thighs of the reader when he is seated. Furthermore, said circular bar 28 may abut the rear of plate l5 when the supporting framework consisting of members I! and I9, is iii-collapsed condition shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The plate l5'is provided at each of its lower opposite vertical edges with a sleeve'3fl, which is preierablyintegral With the plate, and,is'made from flap like extensions which are curledin- --'-wardly toward the inner-faceof the plate. Each of the sleeves accommodates an L-shaped hook 32, having the end passing through the sleeve beaded at 33 to prevent sliding out of the hook. The bottom of plate 15 is partly curled at 33 forming a rest for the horizontal portion of bar 32, when not in use. A spring wire, under tension is curled around the long arm of hook 32, being fixed at one end to the sleeve 3! and at the other end to the hook, to permit normal swinging of the bar counterclockwise with respect to the outer face of plate I5 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. By these means the hooks 32 work against the pages toward the edge of the book rather than toward the inner portion so as to permit easy movement of the pages of the book when the reader is finished reading said page. This feature is clearly shown in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 12, there is shown a hook 32 without any spring connection for normally turning the member around toward the front face of the plate I5. The long arm of the hook tightly fits in sleeve 3| so that it will, when turned through any angle remain in such moved position.

In Fig. 11, there is shown a modified form of yoke connection consisting of collars or tubes 34, which are integral with the long edges of plates I5. The tubes are set in from the upper ends of the plate [5, and have a side opening 35 for accommodating the bend of bar II.

In each case the bars of hooks form a tight fit with the tubes and sheath so that the bars may be moved and remain in the position desired.

In the use of the embodiments, the plate I5 is tilted about the sleeves H5 or side openings 35 as an axis and the circular bar 28 is pulled out- Wardly of the tubes I9 as shown in Figs. 7-10 inclusive. The angle of inclination of the back frame portion with respect to the plate may be varied in two ways, one, depending upon the raising or lowering of the circular bar 28 within the tubes IS, the other, upon the degree through which the back frame is turned about sleeves 16 or opening 35 as an axis of rotation. In case a book 36 is placed along its long axis as shown in Fig. 7, the lower hooks 32 swing inwardly toward the inner face of plate [5 and hold the pages of the book down against the plate. Furthermore, the leaves of the book may be easily moved to the right or left.

The reading angle at which the book is read may be easily varied by either tilting the circular arm 28 further away from plate 15 or by raising or lowering the arm in the tubes l9.

When the book is to be read in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 9, the yoke may be raised to accommodate the size of the book 36. Also, the laterally extending hooks 26 may be moved to hold the long ends of one half of the book, as shown. Furthermore, the hooks 26 may be tilted around sheath 213 soas to keep the leaves of the upper half of the book in compact position, as shown in the drawing.

In Fig. 10, the circular arm 28 being looped at 29, there is a space between the same and the terminal portions 30 to accommodate a newspaper which is held in firm inclined position.

In the construction a relatively tight fit is maintained by the movable parts so that when they are turned or moved, they will remain in any desired position, with the exception of the hooks 32 which are under spring tension.

While there are shown and described several embodiments of the invention herein, it is understood that modifications, as to form, use of material and arrangement of the various parts,

may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended. claims.

This invention is an improvement on the invention disclosed and claimed in U. S. Patent No. 1,938,528 and patented Dec. 5, 1933.

I claim:

1. A collapsible book holder comprising a book plate, an adjustable framework pivotally connected with said plate for inclining the latter to a desired reading angle, a yoke extensible from the framework, a pair of oppositely withdrawable members on said yoke for holding the adjacent part of the pages of an open book on said plate, in position, and a pair of opposed spring actuated hooks at the bottom of the plate for supporting the book and retaining the contacting part of pages in compact position.

2. A collapsible book holder comprising a book plate, a framework pivoted to the plate, and pivotally adjustable with relation to said plate, a yoke on said framework extensible therefrom above the plate, a sheath integral with the yoke, a pair of oppositely disposed arms in the sheath for engaging the sides of an open book, tensioned means for normally drawing the arms into the sheath, and means at oppositely disposed edges of the plate for holding the opposite sides and pages of an open book.

3. In combination, a plate for holding a book, a plurality of oppositely disposed, pivotal members located at spaced corners of said plate, a tubular member for slidably receiving a portion of each of said members, a circular arm having terminal portions slidable in and adjustable with the tubular members, yoke means having extensions longitudinally slidable from the tubular members extending over the top of the book plate for holding the leaves of the book when open, and opposed spring actuated means at the bottom of the plate for holding the bottom partion of the leaves in firm position when the book is opened.

4. A collapsible bookholder comprising a plate, a frame pivoted to the upper edge of the plate for obtaining any desired inclined position of said plate, a yoke in connection with said framework and adjustable longitudinally thereof, a pair of oppositely, laterally extending arms on said yoke, means in connection with said arms for normally drawing the arms toward the yoke, oppositely disposed hooks on the lower edges of the plate for supporting the book and retaining the pages in compressed condition, and tension means around each hook for normally turning the same toward the back of the plate.

5'. In a collapsible bookholder, the improvement comprising a plate, an extensible curved. thigh rest, slidably connected to the plate, a yoke connected to and longitudinally extensible from the plate, a pair of oppositely extending arms connected to said plate for movement relative thereto, means for normally drawing said arms toward said yoke, and spring actuated means at opposite edges of the plate for supporting the book and retaining the pages of the book in compact position.

6. In a collapsible bookholder, the improvement comprising a plate, an extensible curved member in pivotal connection with the plate for resting against the thighs, and adjustable with the plate for inclining the same for holding a book to any reading position, a yoke in connection with the curved member and raisable above the top of the plate, oppositely disposed means laterally extensible from said yoke, for holding the pages of an open book in place, and a pair of oppositely disposed spring actuated members at the lower edges of the plate for supporting an open book and keeping the pages in compressed condition, said members normally swinging from the front of the plate to the back thereof.

'7. A collapsible bookholder comprising a rest plate for a book, a collar on opposite edges of the plate, a yoke in connection with said collars, laterally extensible arms on said yoke movable oppositely of each other, and laterally of the yoke, a curved thigh rest having looped terminal portions in engagement with the collars and movable to and away from the plate, around the collars as a pivot, and spring actuated hooks at opposite edges of the lower portion of the plate for supporting one edge of the book and retaining the pages thereof in compact position, said hooks normally swinging around to the back face of the plate.

8. In combination, a bookholding plate, a plurality of oppositely disposed pivoted members located at opposed corners of said plate, a pair of opposed cylindrical means for slidably receiving a portion of each of said members, a circular arm having terminal portions slidable in said means and adjustable therewith, a yoke having extensions slidable in said pair of cylindrical means, extensible over the top portion of said plate, and opposed spaced means connected to the plate for holding the bottom portion of a book in position on said plate.

FAUST J. MARSEGLIA. 

